The month of May was established in 1927 as "Hearing Month" aiming to inform and raise awareness about hearing, prevention and treatment of hearing loss.
Hearing is a valuable sense and a key element of human communication. It is essential in everyday life and interpersonal relationships and clearly affects the quality of life. Hearing plays an important role in the development of speech, language and learning in general. It contributes to spatial perception and complements vision. Hearing loss makes daily communication and interpersonal relationships difficult, reduces the feeling of inclusion and participation in social activities, and creates conditions of insecurity with consequent negative effects on the quality of life and well-being of a person.
For this reason, caring and protecting our hearing as well as the timely treatment of any problems are vital.
Tips for external and internal ear hygiene:
- After bathing, gently wipe the outside of the ear with a soft towel or tissue.
- Never put anything inside the ear canal (cotton swabs, keys, etc.). This can injure the eardrum or push the wax deeper in the ear canal.
- Ears have a natural self-cleaning mechanism, so let them do their job. The wax will gradually move out on its own.
- If you swim frequently, it is recommended to use special earplugs to prevent water from entering the ear canal which might cause infections.
- If you have an excessive amount of wax, then consult a specialist for professional wax removing and ear cleaning.
Hearing Care Tips:
- Try to minimize exposure to loud sounds for long periods of time. The further away you are from a loud sound source, the less risk your hearing is at.
- Use earplugs when working in noisy environments to reduce the sound volume.
- When listening to music with headphones, keep the volume low. The "60/60" rule is helpful: don't listen to music for more than 60 minutes at a time at a volume that exceeds 60% of the maximum.
- Have your hearing checked regularly, especially if you work in noisy environments, or if you are over 50 years old, or if you have a family history of hearing problems. Early detection can help treat any problems.
- If you notice changes in your hearing, such as difficulty understanding speech, tinnitus/ringing, or a feeling of fullness, do not ignore it. Consult a specialist immediately.
Most important indications of hearing loss:
- You feel that others are mumbling or not speaking clearly.
- You have difficulty following conversations, especially in noisy environments such as restaurants or other social gatherings.
- You often ask others to repeat what they have just said.
- You raise the TV volume at a level that is annoying to others.
- You have difficulty hearing high frequencies, such as the voices of women and children or the sounds of birds.
- You have difficulty distinguishing sounds such as "s" from "f" or "th".
- You hear ringing, buzzing, hissing or other sounds in your ears, even when there is no external sound.
- You feel tired or stressed after trying to hear and understand conversations.
- You avoid social events where communication is difficult due to noise.
- Family members complain or friends tell you that you don't hear well.
- You feel like you understand better when you can see the speaker's face.
If you notice any of these signs, it is important to consult a specialist for a hearing test. Sent as us an email or chat with us. Early diagnosis and treatment can improve your hearing and quality of life.
